Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14)

by Max Ellendale

  "I think that's been my favorite part of your visits and our sleepover. The quality time."

  "Not the kissing?" I grinned when I asked, and she chuckled.

  "Definitely the kissing." Her cheeks turned pink, and she patted my hand before plating up the first stack of cooked food. She poured in more batter after, then returned to snuggling against me. "The kissing is so good…"

  "I have to agree." I nibbled her ear. "If kissing you is that delicious, I cannot wait for the sex."

  A heavy laugh escaped her and she swatted my hand. "Me too."

  "Would it be lofty to ask you to be exclusive?" I chanced, holding my breath after. "Even if you are still a little mad at me."

  "It's not lofty." She turned in my arms after flipping the pancakes and clasped her hands behind my neck. "Nothing would make me happier and simultaneously a little mad."

  I laughed and caught her in a gentle kiss while reaching over to turn off the dial for the burner. She smiled through it, lifting to her toes as our connection deepened. Her belly quivered against mine and I ended the kiss just to watch the way she nibbled her lip.

  "What are the downsides to dating a superhero?" she asked, teasing me while toying with my hair.

  "Sometimes I have to rush off to intervene on something. I help Nalea with work. She's on leave for a few weeks right now though, so we're both getting some down time. Usually, it's the rushing off."

  "Or the random acts of saving my life and the life of others?" She pointed to the ceiling. "From falling engines."

  "Yes." I chuckled and nipped her lips. "That too."

  "I think I can handle it." She gathered my hair over my shoulder then glanced to the pancakes. "I almost forgot about them."

  "I figured." I winked at her and pointed to the burner in the off position. "Let's go eat a little bit and talk."

  "Okay." She kissed my cheek before plating up the rest of the pancakes to take to the table. I snagged the whipped cream from the fridge and followed with our coffee cups.

  We settled adjacent to each other with Harlow's knees pressed to mine as we sat close enough at the edge of the table. Neither of us hesitated to devour our breakfast.

  "Very yummy," I said, after finishing half my plate. "Not too sweet at all."

  "Good. You promise to tell me if you don't like something?"

  "Absolutely. You'll know right away. If I don't, I can't fake liking it. It's literally intolerable to try. I deal with enough overwhelming things with all my other senses. Last I need is my mouth staging a revolution."

  "Silly." She chuckled and rubbed my knee while nibbling a pancake she rolled up and dipped in cream.

  "So, what are the downsides to dating a museum curator and archeologist?"

  "Somewhat retired archeologist," she corrected. "Um…" She sipped her coffee then said, "I would say travel if I was working in the field, but that's not an issue right now. Sometimes I work late, but…you already knew that."

  "I seemed to find you there a lot…"

  "By choice, not by necessity," she said, shaking her head. "It's less lonely there, even if I'm alone. I don't have any friends other than work acquaintances and Zenobia who's far away. So…that's what I do."

  "Other than Nalea and Audra, I don't either. I don't even know any of my colleagues really unless there's a mixer or college event. Almost all classes are online now. I still taught in person most of the time, but lately, since Elara's here, I've worked from home, and I've really liked it."

  "Do you look after her?"

  "Sometimes. More like quality time for now. Audra's home for three months, and Nalea's home for three weeks now, and then when Audra goes back to work, she'll take the rest of her time. Then Audra will be home all summer. Elara gets a full-time mom for her entire first year."

  "That's an excellent plan." She smiled while thinking about it. "Are you moving?"

  I nodded, then let out a puff of breath. "To a duplex situation a little bit outside of the central city. I'll have my own place and so will they. Privacy but close at the same time. I'm not keen on moving but…we have to."

  "Is it far?" Her question brought her gaze flickering down to her plate.

  "For who?" I grinned when I said it. "Humans or Hybridians?"

  She laughed suddenly, as if relieved. "Right. Not far for you."

  "Nope. It's about a twenty-minute drive from our old place in moderate traffic, but five minutes if I fly. Eight if I run." I snickered and she poked my leg.

  "How far have you flown? Like what's the farthest place?" She leaned back in her chair, nursing a full stomach while sipping her coffee.

  "The farthest is probably down to Oregon or up to Vancouver. It depends on the weather. Flying close to the coast where wind is plentiful is easiest. Some Protectors have gone coast to coast though. I think one made it from New York to London, but I'm not that kind of brave. If I crash in the ocean halfway there, who's to say I'll have enough stamina or energy to manipulate the water? We're strong, but not invincible. A shark could still swallow me whole," I said, propping my foot on the chair to rest my elbow on my knee. I cradled my coffee mug and drew small sips on the strong brew that I actually enjoyed.

  "Have you ever gotten hurt?" She set her cup down, her brow wrinkling with concern.

  "A few times, but nothing serious. Sonic weapons or bullets usually. The sonics disorient me really badly and I fell while flying. I recovered pretty quick, though, from that. Bullets, I can handle quite a few but there is a limit and it's harder to heal if they get lodged somewhere."

  "I shouldn't have asked that. Now I'm worried about you." A small frown made it to her lips. "Do you go to the hospital when you're hurt?"

  "I've never had to. Just rest usually." I held my hand to her, and she took it.

  "I read about Hybridians. They still heal like humans, but at a faster rate. All species of Offlanders heal differently, but when they're Hybridian, it becomes similar."

  "From my understanding." I nodded and brushed my thumb over her knuckles. "You know more about it than me, oddly enough. I've always avoided learning about it."

  "How come?" She tilted her head in the manner that made me smile.

  "It reminded me of my mom. When I was little and in school, people stared at me or asked me a million questions. I hated it. When I switched from elementary to middle school, my dad got me contacts and I never looked back. I always pretended to be human. I liked it better."

  "Do you still?"

  "Yes." I nodded with my affirmation. "It's much easier. I studied history and ancient cultures to learn about my human side. But it seems like you studied all about aliens and Hybridians."

  "Ancient civilizations and their beliefs. Offlanders are a huge part of that. There are hundreds of books out there and research work on Offlanders and Hybridians. I found one about Offlanders from Andromeda, too."

  "What'd you learn?" I leaned back in my chair and set my empty coffee mug down.

  "A lot. One of the books was written by an Offlander from Andromeda. He arrived here over fifty years ago as a refugee fleeing what he claimed was an intergalactic battle between his planet, Praxar, and a neighboring planet, Jukara. The Praxi people were all but annihilated. A few hundred were able to escape on ships, but there's no telling where they ended up. A few made it to the Milky Way Galaxy. Others, who knows." Her eyes sparkled when she shared the information she learned. "He was Praxi."

  "My mom came here around fifty years ago…" I considered what she said, scratching my nails over the rough fabric of my jeans. "Wonder if they knew each other."

  "Maybe. He said many of them had manifesting powers that impacted the elements of Earth. The Praxi people who made it here were recruited for the government's Super Soldier program. Back then it was called Space Force. Now it's the International Planetary Protection Agency and Elite Soldiers. But you knew that part, I'm sure," she said, her brows lifting.

  "Sounds like my mother's story. Do you think she was Praxi?"

  She n
odded, though as her knowledge became more personal to me, her confidence wavered. "She fits the description this man describes."

  "What made you research all of this?"

  "Your eyes. Apparently, people from Andromeda share that trait. A spectrum of purple or teal, but without the giant pupils for full Offlanders. Hybridians have larger than human black pupils, and thick limbal rings. Like you." She leaned forward, staring into my eyes as she caressed my cheek.

  I leaned into her touch, holding her hand to my face.

  "Does it bother you to talk about this?"

  I shook my head. "No. It makes me a little sad thinking about what my mom went through, but I'm used to that. Nalea always said I should learn more about my abilities, but…" I shrugged. "I kind of liked finding out spontaneously. When did you read all of this?"

  "The few weeks while we weren't talking." She traced her thumb up and down her thigh while eyeing the markings in the fabric. "Even though I was so upset, it consumed my thoughts."

  "Me too."

  "Have you ever told someone you were dating that you were Hybridian?"

  "No." I shook my head. "Never. I never felt serious about them enough to put that risk out there. As an adult living here, only Nalea ever knew, and then Audra. We waited two years before we told her. When she and I became better friends. That's when the three of us decided to live together, after college. Sometimes I talk to Audra now more than Nae. Audra's more even keeled and can see all sides of situations. Nae is more guided by her emotions. Nalea's mom knows. Her second husband was Hybridian, so she figured it out on her own."

  "How? Your eyes?"

  "No." I chuckled when I thought about it. "We were at her house for Thanksgiving, just the five of us. She wouldn't let anyone help with bringing the turkey to the table and she dropped it. But…I reacted by making it hover above the carpet with a tiny rolling wind tunnel under it. She accused Luceas of doing it in front of guests even though it wasn't one of his abilities. It was the funniest outing of my abilities ever. Luceas passed away though, two years ago."

  "That's funny then sad. Both your mom and Luceas, gone… Your family's had significant losses," she said thoughtfully.

  "They both died being heroes. Luceas had a blood disorder. His alien cells kept attacking his human cells, and over time, it weakened him greatly. His clinical trials helped make treatments for others. He lived into his seventies though, so he lived a good life."

  "He must've been Plutonian. The blood disorder and all…"

  "He was." I smiled at her assertion. "You're good."

  "I like to study civilizations. Our own solar system is easy." She chuckled and dropped her head on the back of the chair. "Nalea's family treated you like their own?"

  "Always. Still do. Audra's family, too. I love them all so much."

  "I don't think I've ever properly loved anyone," she said, her hands resting in her lap while she crossed her legs. Downcast eyes flickered up at me. "Ever."

  "Tell me about your family?" My query left me delicately. "Only if you're comfortable."

  She remained silent for a few seconds, as if considering her beginning. "My father was a politician for most of his life. The kind that, behind closed doors, are terrible people. He belonged to a hate group that targeted people of different races. He would use his power to terrorize them, make sure they weren't ever able to seek justice, have them deported. I didn't know this at the time. I found out as an adult. My mother enabled him. She was complacent."

  "How come you wished for a superhero to save you?"

  "Because…" She glanced at me. "I had two bedrooms. One upstairs in the regular part of the house, and one in the basement. The upstairs bedroom was for show. When people came to the house, my family would force me into clothes some designer picked out. Had wardrobe people do my hair and makeup. All these pictures, so much fakeness. When it all ended, they made me go in the basement bedroom and locked me in. It had a window that I could look out and I would watch the sky all night." She blinked away a few tears. "When I was little, I didn't think anything of it. It was my room. I had nice things, toys, clothes, books. Everything I wanted, but I wasn't allowed to leave. Around ten, I started to notice when friends at my private school shared their dramatically different lives. I started to rebel and get angry."

  "Did it get chaotic after that?"

  She nodded, her gaze meeting mine. "My father was brutal. The way he would scream at me. Frighten me and say he would string me up like the illegal scum tainting our planet. Just…he would just terrorize me all the time. Wake me up in the middle of the night shouting. So much manipulation. My mother let him do it."

  My heart pounded almost as hard as hers as tears welled in my eyes. I envisioned her pain, and the life she had to endure. "How did you get out?"

  "Eventually, a wealthy politician with a daughter in the public eye has to send that daughter to college. When I was in college, he was arrested, finally, for war crimes and was given a life sentence. He was murdered in prison by the people he put behind bars out of sheer hate. He didn't last a month. My mother played the part of a grieving widow, signed over my inheritance when I demanded it, and we walked away from each other." Tears leapt from her lashes when she blinked a few times, sniffling after. "I took my money, finished my degrees, traveled the world. Learned as much as I could, and never looked back. I lied to your friends about my family…when I said my mom died."

  "You don't owe anyone a story, Harlow. Especially people you just met. It's okay." I met her gaze and she held it for a moment. "Was this in Seattle?" I stroked her knee and she started as if I hurt her. "Sorry." I pulled my hand away. "I didn't mean to—"

  "It startled me. It's okay." She took my hand and placed it back on her leg. "I grew up in Chicago. Work brought me here."

  "I'm so sorry you went through all of that, Harlow. It helps me understand why me violating your trust hurt so much." I stroked her hand, noting how her posture weakened after divulging her secrets.

  She closed her eyes, shaking her head as silent tears continued to stream down her cheeks. No words left her lips and she pursed them together, as if trying to hold on to herself. I kissed the back of her hand as I stood.

  "Come with me." I wiggled my fingers at her.

  "Where?" She took my hand and rose with me after swiping at her eyes.

  "You'll see." I led her to her bedroom where the perfectly-made bed remained untouched by either of us after a night spent on the sofa. A sleek black bureau, with not a speck of dust, sat against one wall, and her plush bed stood in the middle. Her work bag sat on a white chair in the corner beside a closed closet door. The window that overlooked the courtyard below allowed in rays of early morning light. "Do you look out this window?"

  She nodded, dabbing at her cheeks with her knuckles. "All the time."

  "Do you watch the sky?"

  "Yes." A small smile made it to her lips.

  "Okay. Close your eyes for a minute. Count to twenty out loud, then open them."

  Hesitation caught her at first, but she released my hand and eventually closed them. She chuckled, despite her tears, and I shifted away from her.

  I smirked at my own silliness, but maybe this would mean something to her. With as much focus as I could muster, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to ghost through the wall beside us. Air whooshed at my feet when I called to it, allowing me to hover outside for a moment. I rolled my wrists as I willed the wind to keep me afloat. I motioned myself backward, my eyes trained on the window while I listened to Harlow's countdown. The smile she wore while humoring me fueled my fury. I didn't care who saw me as I shot upward when she counted down from three to one. Surprise lifted her brows when she pressed her face closer to the window. She laughed, covering her mouth while I soared in a casual loop before shooting upward, my fists pressed ahead of me. My chest clenched as it always did, warning me of my height limits. The building faded below me while I rode the wind enough to hover again, my hands twirling at my thighs. My vis
ion tunneled on her, and she smiled while watching me, and opened the window as if right on cue.

  I shot toward her, channeling all the velocity I could to rocket toward her window. A gasp left her, echoing and tangling with the swooshing wind as she covered her mouth. I aimed for the window, closed my eyes, and forced the tangibility from me to avoid an accidental collision. I tumbled in on a forward flip and landed on my feet, my fists propped on my hips when I hopped up to stand.

  Harlow laughed softly, tears pooling in her eyes again before they raced down her cheeks. Her hands remained over her mouth as she watched with wide eyes twinkling with amusement.

  "I heard you needed some company here," I said, deepening my voice in effort to sound ridiculous. "Superhero needed for a sweet girl named Harlow. Is that you?"

  "Yes." She snickered and scurried over to me, her arms outstretched.

  I caught her around the middle and swept her off her feet, shifting one arm to hold her under her knees as I rose a few inches from the floor. Her arms encircled my neck as her smile stretched ear to ear. She nuzzled my chin with her nose, and I chuckled while kissing her damp cheeks.

  "Want me to ghost through the ceiling and scare your neighbors?"

  "Veyda." She laughed out my name and squeezed me tighter. "Wait. Can you actually do that? Get someone to phase with you?"

  "Only once by accident during a time of extreme stress. I've never been able to do it at will but bending you into the shadows with me is easy." I kissed the end of her nose. "I'll keep you safe. I wish I could've kept little Harlow safe, too."

  "Me too." She choked on a sob and hugged me tighter, though she kissed my neck a dozen times. "This was very sweet. I'm going to imagine you zooming through that window all the time now."

  "That's what I hoped." I slowly lowered us back to the carpet but didn't let her down.

  "What if people saw you?"

  "I don't care. Let them try and find a flying redhead who disappears through walls."

  Her snickers overpowered her tears as I toted her over to the bed. She let me lay her down with her head in the pillows then ran her fingers through my hair after. Her gazed locked on mine as I joined her, holding myself above her with my knees at her hip.